In the quiet community of Beulah, Alabama, the life of 18-year-old Madison Daly was tragically cut short on December 24, 2024. Described as a Caucasian female, Madison was discovered unresponsive in her home, the victim of a fatal gunshot wound. She was not alone in death; her 19-year-old stepsister, Kayden Lynch, was also found deceased at the scene, having suffered the same fate. The two were not just stepsisters but also roommates and the closest of friends.
Madison was also a young mother to a toddler daughter.
The events of that Christmas Eve afternoon unfolded with a chilling speed. At approximately 3:48 p.m., deputies from the Lee County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of gunfire at a residence on Lee Road 2113. Upon their arrival, they made the grim discovery of the two young women's bodies. Also present at the scene was 18-year-old Jalen Dashawn Holmes, a neighbor of the victims. He was taken into custody that same night and has since been held at the Lee County Jail.
The investigation into the double homicide suggests a volatile sequence of events leading up to the fatal shootings. Authorities reported that prior to the incident at the sisters' home, Holmes had allegedly assaulted his own mother at his nearby residence and had taken a handgun from her. Investigators believe he then went next door to the home Madison and Kayden shared, where the deadly shooting occurred. A friend of the victims revealed that one of the sisters knew Holmes and was reportedly in love with him, adding a layer of personal tragedy to the senseless violence.
In the wake of the devastating loss, Jalen Dashawn Holmes was charged with capital murder for the deaths of two or more people. The community of Beulah was left in shock, mourning the loss of two young lives on a day that should have been filled with festive celebration. Madison's family, faced with unimaginable grief, created a GoFundMe page to help with the unexpected funeral expenses.
